Bombardier/Montreal Locomotive Works LRC
The Bombardier/MLW (Montreal Locomotive Works) LRC is a type of high-speed diesel powered train developed for high-speed rail on conventional freight train tracks, by means of tilting. The LRC locomotive is powered by a 3,700hp ALCO 251 turbocharged 4-stroke diesel engine, and is the last new type of locomotive in North America to be developed with this engine. This was also MLW/ALCO's last locomotive before both going out of business. The tilting technology in the LRC was further improved after the initial teething problems with the LRC coaches, eventually forming the basis of the Acela Express trainsets, and numerous other Active-Tilt trains produced by Bombardier. LRC is a bilingual acronym for 'L'ight, 'R'apid, 'C'omfortable, or 'L'eger, 'R'apide, 'C'onfortable (in French). History During the 1970s, CN (and its succesor to its passenger services; VIA Rail Canada) ran the UAC TurboTrain on the high-speed Corridor service between Toronto and Montreal. However, due to the rising price of fuel, and due to the fact that the TurboTrain was not fuel efficient, VIA sought a replacement for it. At the same time, a consortium of Montreal Locomotive Works (a division of ALCO), and Dofasco Metals of Hamilton, ONT, Canada, were developing a tilting diesel-powered train that could be used on regular freight tracks at speeds up to 129mph using Active tilt. The Turbo, for comparison, used TALGO Passive tilt, which takes some time to respond to curves. The new LRC would use accelerometers to actively adjust tilt as the train rounds corners. The locomotives used high-powered versions of ALCO's 251 engine, and the LRC would prove to be the last use of this engine in a new locomotive. Bombardier purchased MLW in 1975, as part of its entry into the railroading market. At the same time, Canadian National (CN) was considering a purchase of the LRC, but at the same time, the decline of passenger rail became a election issue. CN had continuously wanted to rid itself of passenger service, and raised the issue with the government. One of Pierre Trudeau's promises in 1974 was to create a nationwide passenger carrier, similar to Amtrak south of the border, that will take over CN and CP's passenger routes. Trudeau stuck with his promise, and in 1978, VIA Rail (formerly a division of CN's passenger service) became a separate crown corporation. VIA, after inheriting a number of 25 year old equipment from CN and CP, sought to reduce its reliance on the old stock (as well as solve the fuel-efficiency problem with the TurboTrain), and placed an order for 10 locomotives, as well as 50 matching coaches. Amtrak tested the LRC for 2 years starting in 1977. It was operated on the Northeast and Illinois corridors. Amtrak decided not to purchase the trains and returned them. They were subsequently bought by VIA Rail as the LRC-1, and were used on the International route between Toronto and Chicago. The cars are currently stored at Montreal's VIA yard. Entry into service with VIA Rail VIA Rail put the initial order of LRCs in service. They replaced the TurboTrain, and began operating on the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor as express runs. Depite their 129mph rating, they were limited to 100mph in service. A further 10 locomotives were ordered with the first VIA batch. Together, they make up the LRC-2 locomotives, and are numbered 6901-6920. The first locomotive arrived in 1981. Another 10 locomotives were ordered in 1981, which arrived by 1982. They were 6921-6930. 100 coaches were also delivered, to go with the locomotives. The locomotives continued in service until 2000, when the last LRC locomotive was retired; their passenger cars, however, remain the backbone of VIA's Corridor fleet, although mostly pulled by the GE P42DC, which replaced the LRC locomotives in 2001. Teething Issues The LRC locomotives were plagued with mechanical and technical problems and glitches. Common problems include the tilt system locking in the "tilt" position even after the train comes out of a curve, or the system would fail to operate entirely. The locomotives themselves suffered mechanical problems often due to the old engine design. The bumping up of power on the 251 plagued the locomotive as much as the uprated EMD 645F doomed the EMD SD50. In 1984, all LRC equipment were pulled from service following a discovery of faulty axles. The axles could have resulted (and in some cases, did) result in broken wheels. During this time it should be noted that GO Transit's BiLevel commuter cars and RTC-85 single level cars were doing LRC routes. All locomotives were retired by the year 2000, with P42DCs ordered to replace them. LRC coaches and Club cars 100 LRC coaches were delivered with the locomotives. They were initially all economy coaches, numbered 3300-3399. Doring the 1990s, with the retirement of the CN/VIA Galley Club Deluxe car, 27 of these coaches were converted into club cars, numbered 3451-3475, and 3600-3601. These cars are thousands of pounds lighter than VIA's HEP1 and HEP2 stock, even lighter than Amtrak's Amfleet stock. Ride quality is extremely notable; even on rough sections of track, the LRC cars are able to offer a smooth and quiet ride. Today, the cars are mainly used in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor, usually pulled by new GE P42DC locomotives. They are still the only type of passenger cars certified for 100mph in Canada. Of the 100 cars delivered, 98 are still in service. Acela express cars are built based on VIA's LRC cars, although Amtrak's Acela did not have steps and thus can only service high platform stations. The LRC cars are currently being refurbished. Refurbished cars carry the VIA "Renaissance" scheme, which is the scheme proposed for a cancelled overnight passenger train in Europe, and which is also on the Mark IV passenger cars VIA bought from them in 2000. Economy cars will have curtains attached, and Business class cars will have 2+1 leather seats. VIA is also removing the tilt system for easier maintenance. Preservation VIA Rail LRC 6921 is a permanent display at Exporail, on the outskirts of Montreal. In addition, VIA Rail LRC 6917 has been purchased by the Toronto Railway Heritage Association (TRHA) and has been restored to an operational state Category:VIA Rail locomotives Category:Bombardier locomotives